Sounders open CCL with 4-1 win

The score was even at 1-1 in the 55th minute when Seattle’s Lamar Neagle was given a straight red card for an awkward kick that nailed Comunicaciones midfielder Juan Marquez in the chest.

However, the Sounders managed two goals over their first 12 minutes of playing 10-against-11.

In the 60th minute, Fucito made a nice touch around his defender at the top of the penalty area and fired a left-footed shot into the far netting. In the second, he took a long rolling pass from Alvaro Fernandez and fired the ball in left-footed from 16 yards.

Fucito has five goals and one assist over his last five CCL matches.

In the 79th minute, Patrick Ianni seemed to commit an own-goal before clearing the ball back onto the pitch. However, no goal awarded and Comunicaciones' Edgard Martinez was sent off for dissent. So, the teams played the final 11 minutes with 10 men each.

Comunicaciones had jumped ahead in just the second minute, as Bryan Ordonez launched a cross into the box. Sounders goalkeeper Terry Boss started after it, but couldn’t get to it and was trapped in no-man’s land where he watched Jairo Arreola head it into the goal.

The final score was set in the 87th minute on an own-goal by Comunicaciones’ Rigoberto Gomez.

However, history gave Seattle hope: The Creams had never won a Champions League game when scoring a single goal.

The Sounders drew even in the 35th minute on a header of their own, as Brad Evans got on the end of a Mike Fucito corner kick. Evans sent the ball into the underside of the crossbar, and it rebounded down just across the goal line.

It was Evans first game appearance since June 18, when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Also returning to action was defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, who had been out with a leg injury since July 10.

The Sounders return to MLS play at 5 p.m. Saturday at FC Dallas.

Their next Champions League match is 5 p.m. Tuesday at Monterrey.

79th minute:

Patrick Ianni seemed to commit an own-goal before clearing the ball back onto the pitch. However, no goal awarded and Comunicaciones Juan Marquez send off for dissent. So, it's 10-on-10 now.

67th minute: GOAL Seattle. Fucito again. This time he got behind the defense, took a long rolling pass from Fernandez and finished leftt-footed from 16 yards. Seattle, 3-1. And now Fucito has five goals and one assist over his last five CCL games.

60th minute: GOAL Sounders. Mike Fucito makes a nice touch around his defender at the top of the penalty area and fires a left-footed shot into the far netting. Assist to Montero. Seattle, 2-1.

Fucito now has four goals and one assist over his last five CCL games.

Rosales in for Montero.

Straight red: Lamar Neagle draws a straight red card for kicking Juan Marquez in the chest. It seemed a more awkward play than a viscous one. Neagle seemed to try to kick the ball, and then when he saw he was beaten to it, he seemed to try to pull up, with his leg clearly catching Marquez, who went down. Leo Gonzalez also picked up a yellow amid the scrum that followed.

Second half: ... has begun. Three points at home tonight seems pretty crucial to Sounders' group hopes.

Halftime: The half ends with a pushing/shoving scrum after Terry Boss (a big guy) kinda shouldered aside a Comunicaciones player before a punt.

In any case, 1-1.

Sounders lead in shots, 6-4. Each team has put only one on goal -- both going in, of course. Seven fouls to the Creams, six to the Sounders. Seattle has four corner kicks, Comunicaciones none.

100 minutes to kickoff: Beautiful evening at CenturyLink Field for the Sounders' CONCACAF Champions League group-play opener against Comunicaciones of Guatemala.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. The game will be shown on Fox Soccer Channel and broadcast on 97.3 FM. There also are plenty of good tickets remaining. And, of course, we'll be blogging before, during and after the match, and hope to have plenty of comments and discussion from you.

(And anyone coming, be aware that this is that hyper-rare day when the Sounders and Mariners are playing on the same night at the same time.)

The Sounders' lineup should be interesting tonight. And I should be passing that along within the hour.

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